I have been at Daily Kos for a little over three years. In that time I have made some great friends that changed my life in a really positive way. Even though I am mad at Markos for his stripping some good friends and I of ratings ability with no reason given, banning a good friend (Paul in Berkeley) with no reason given all the while allowing racist trolls and their supporters free reign to happily abuse the site, I am thankful to him for actually developing the site and giving me the opportunity in the first place to make these friends.
Also, I recognize that this is Markos' site and he can do whatever he pleases. If he wants to see Democrats represented on the premier Democratic blog by anti-Semitic C.T. Mongers, outright racists and those that support them than that is his call not mine. My call is whether I want to stay here and put up with those people. I don't so now....
Due to the "Great Purge of 2011" it's time to say Goodbye, See Ya, Sayonara, Shalom, Take Care and all the rest for a bit. The unmitigated hatred, anti-Semitic hatred and general douchebaggery that has been allowed to not only remain at the site but to go unabated is simply too much.
Before I present my reasons for leaving below... Please take a look at some samples of my diaries (I write mostly on I/P with some good support for Democrats tossed in) so you will see just how "unreasonable" I am:
Team Shalom Fry'd Daze
No Peace in the Middle East - Thanks a Frakkin' lot (A RANT)
A "CLASSICAL" Tale of Peace in the Middle East
A Passover Story and Reflections on the theme
Sometimes the Good Guys Win - Once in a While it Happens
This was supposed to be a Democratic blog but look at the quotes below and tell me what about these comments should Democrats support. Commentators, Representatives, and Senators blog here. Is this kind of thing what they want to actually support? Note in the following comments only ONE of the commentators were banned. ONLY ONE.
And now for the "Fun" Parts: Here is now banned user simone daud making a classic ZOG comment. Now Markos did ban this troll and one of his upraters but the two other upraters of a classical anti-Semitic comment are still around and rating with T.U. privilages. Further, others that defended the comment in later threads are still here as T.U.'s and regular contributors. Here is the comment AND upraters (one of whom uprated it after it was pointed out to be a ZOG comment. And later uprated a comment about notorious anti-Semite Ken O'Keefe stating his uprate was for the "Raw and Honest Truth". This person is still a T.U.
Recommended by:Eiron, Terra Mystica, Celtic Merlin
The US is becoming the sick man of the Pacific, scaffolded by the encumbrance of having recently been almost an economic empire (where else is China going to put its surplus cash ? is there any substitute for treasury bonds?), has a non-functioning government whose single aim seems to facilitate colonialism in Palestine and is so co-opeted by the colonialist lobby like AIPAC that its members really have no function aside from funnelling goodies from these lobbies and avoiding its reprimand.
Read the quote... They say; The U.S.' "SINGLE AIM" is to serve Israel and to "funnel goodies" to Jewish and Christian Zionist Lobbies. Now does that sound like rhetoric that has a place in a Democratic blog or does it sound it like something out of some extreme Right/Left wing commentary?
Or how about advocating Nuclear Weapons for Terrorist Groups in this case Hizbollah? Does that have a place on a Democratic Blog? Is that a Progressive Ideal? According to the site it is. Why do I say that, well, here is the comment - the commentor AND some of the upraters, are members in good standing (one weasel, writes a ton of diaries and is well supported by the Adalah Group see their blog roll for all kinds of positive things (/snark) about Democratic policies) with Daily Kos. Here is the quote:
yes (9+ / 0-)
Recommended by:weasel, zannie, Jagger, dancewater, skywriter, callmecassandra, Dexter, OrganizedCrime, simone daud
nukes are bad across the board. Were it that supporters of Israel agreed with me.
Until they do, I advocate Iranian nukes in the hands of Hizballah (vb1 emphasis) to neutralize the capacity of Israel to commit its massacres against Arabs. If the US government and so called liberals don't take a stand against Israeli crimes, there is no other way. Sorry.
Have a good one.
by sortalikenathan on Mon Nov 29, 2010 at 03:26:20 PM PST
Here again is weasel in support:
I am proud I recced his comment, and I would have done it a dozen times if I could (I think I recced several comments in that chain, if memory serves).
Proud to rec. a comment of putting nukes in Hizbollah's hands. And yet this person is still a member in good standing with the site. Great. As a community these are the people that should be around a Democratic blog?
But wait... there is more. Here is commentor litho (defended in the thread and diary by users Florida Democrat and Flyswatterbanjo) making commentary that mirrored that of David Duke and the exchange that followed:
Here is litho:
The letter, unfortunately, doesn't (1+ / 7-)
Recommended by: blueness
Hidden by: Red Sox, psychodrew, Mets102, MBNYC, taylormattd, Drewid, livosh1
acknowledge that. Rather, it resorts to a typical Zionist recourse of using the Holocaust to deflect legitimate criticism of the policies of the Jewish State.
Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free
¡Boycott Arizona!
by litho on Fri Jun 24, 2011 at 11:13:15 AM PDT
Here is David Duke:
The Zionists have used the Holocaust as a weapon to deny the rights of the Palestinians and cover up the crimes of Israel," Duke told a gathering of nearly 70 "researchers" in Tehran at Ahmadinejad's invitation.
Do you have anything else to add...
Want to see more?
DK4: For those times when pissing in the hummus isn't enough
by volleyboy1 on Sun Jul 10, 2011 at 12:26:31 AM PDT
Also notice the complete distraction attempt by Flyswatterbanjo which indicates that her and her "teammates" track other users. While it may not exactly be stalking it is creepy. AND YET... they are still Trusted Users.
There are literally hundreds more examples of users that have made or supported extremely anti-Semitic remarks that are still not only allowed to post, but that are members in good standing. I will never forget that when I opposed the suggested BDS stance by U.C. Berkeley, I was told by "peaceful commentor" and Adalah head soysauce to "Shut Up and Get Out of the Way" over my objections. Nothing like peaceful co-existence, eh?
Anyway, because I am a strong Democrat and because I support the Democratic Party (and President Obama) I simply can't see myself here. Had Markos' purge had "reason or rhyme to it" (like informing people of why they were banned or lost T.U.) or had it made sense, I might not have objected. BUT, when people who support racism are supported by this site while those who fight against it are told to go screw ourselves... Nah I don't want to be part of it. I am curious that given the examples above (just three out of hundreds) if any Democratic candidates or sitting representatives would stick around. If they do, what does that say about them?
For those Kossaks boycotting for only a week. Hopefully the boycott is effective. For those of you still here, I would hope you might join in the fight against racism and boycott the site for a week then revisit.
So to all my friends. I cannot tell you how much I value your friendship and great words during the years. You all have made the site way better. I will be around the Intertoobs posting under the same name. So cheers to 'ya.........